FISCAL ISSUE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 810, 6 May 1910, Page 5

FISCAL ISSUE.

PROTECTED GERMANY?

WAGES AND PRICES. THE WORKER'S SHARE OF WEALTH fly Telceraoh-Presn Aeeoclation-OoDyrleht. (Roc. May 5, 11.35 p.m.) London, May 5. Tho Duke of Devonshire, in his Presidential address to the Iron and Steel Institute, combated tho Socialists' assertion that manual workers did not receive ii fair share of the wealth of the country, inasmuch ns they only received fourpence out of a shilling's worth of wealth they created.

The Duke stated that the general advanco in wages and the decline in the pricb oi commodities since 18G9 represented a great improvement. Out of a total yearly public expenditure of 322 millions sterling, the workers received oducation, pensions, municipal trams, housing schemes, libraries, and poor law allowances, in addition to hospitals £nd sanatoria.

Hβ declared that if allowance was made for these forms of social value, the workers were 100 per cent better off than they were in 1869. A LABOUR PARTY DELEGATION TO GERMANY. "STRAIGHTFORWARD REPORT" WANTED. i London, May 4. A dozen members of the Labour party, including Mr. G. N. Barnes and Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P.'s, have started a tour in Germany to Btudy the workers', conditions. Mr. Henderson, interviewed, remarked that \n view of tho prominence of the fiscal question, it was intended to secure for the unions the most straightforward report it was possible to obtain. UNEMPLOYMENT AND SUICIDE. ■ Berlin, May i. Thirteen suicides and attempted suicides were reported in Berlin on Monday last. They were chiefly caused by lack of employment. THB OLD ARGUMENT OVER AGAIN. (Rec. May 5, 11.35 p.m.) Berlin, May 5. There is a remarkable controversy lit Germany as to whether trade Union action has really benefited the workers, or whether the increased cost of living has merely been counter-balanced by increased wages.

, Herr Calwer, sta&tioian, proves- that the cost of living is 27 per cent, above what it was in 1895. German trade unions, replying, have proved that the wages of 218,600 masons and 51,564 oarpenters averaged 39 per cent, above their wages in 1895 j also, that other trades have similarly advanced. CANADA AND UNITED STATES, IMPERIAL PREFERENCE ASPECT. Ottawa, May 4. |The Canadian House of Commons agreed to the Government's tariff coucossions to tho United States. Mr. Bowden, on behalf of the Opposition, urged the Government, when further negotiating with tho United States, not to placo Canada in a position to hamper tho futuro of Canada's fiscal negotiations with Great Britain. TWO WOOERS. TJNCLE SAM AND THE ENGLISH TARIFFITES. (Rec. May 5, 10.25 p.m.) London, May 5. "The Times" declares: "The movement towards reciprocity with Canada is rapidly becohiing the leading, feature of tho United States' Republican programme. It is.possible that President Taft will »e in reciprocity with Canada a golden, opportunity of reconstructing the fiscal side of the Republican programme, and of thus re-establishing the prestige of the Republicans in the West!"Hence, the Unionists' refusal to hew! Lord Rosebery's advice to abandon Tariff Reform, and Mr. Balfpnr's decision to admit Empire wheat free, is particularly fortunate."